Morglon-Daar
A cesspool of vice and debauchery, Morglon-Daar is nonetheless one of the few settlements in the Abyss to offer relative safety for travelers. Morglon-Daar is a frontier boomtown whose life and commerce pulses with the taint of the Abyss. The city is governed by elder demons spawned by Tharizdun, and controlled by a cabal known as the Blightlords. From here, mercenary armies of demons and elementals are dispatched throughout the Abyss, anything imaginable can be purchased or sold, and everyone has a hidden agenda. It is located on Pazunia, the first level of the Abyss. Though Morglon-Daar might resemble the cities of the mortal world, the evil of the Abyss is ever-present here. Visitors arriving at city's Blood River docks are greeted by the grisly remains of lawbreakers and dissidents—thousands of flayed bodies hanging from chains descending from the darkness above. Piscodemon sentinels serve as the city watch, their tentacled maws writhing to mark their ravenous hunger for mortal flesh. But because commerce is the most important concern in Morglon-Daar, travelers are granted a modicum of protection within its walls. Morglon-Daar is a twenty-mile descent down the Blood Rift from the Plain of a Thousand Portals. Above the city, the rift and Khin-Oin stay in a fixed relationship with Pazunia, farther above. Below, the Blood Rift becomes a shifting core around which the layers of the Abyss churn. The city is most commonly reached by planar vessel, and its docks are lined with planar dromonds and spelljammers. More dangerous is the approach along the treacherous Blood River as it courses down alongside the Wasting Tower. Smaller rafts piloted by demon spawn make this journey, but these rafts never tie up at the docks. They only linger long enough for passengers to embark or disembark before silently vanishing into the vermillion mist. Like much of the rift, the city's ambient temperature fluctuates between freezing cold and blisteringly hot, depending on the orientation of the surrounding abyssal layers. The air here is thick with moisture and the scent of rot and decay. Luminescent fungus and lichen cling to the walls of the rift and the city, shedding dim light throughout Morglon-Daar. The city's more upscale districts are brightly lit by street lamps powered by enslaved chaos shards (see Monster Manual 2, page 34). The water of the Blood River is tainted with abyssal energy that makes it toxic to mortal creatures. Morglon-Daar features a small number of wells containing potable water. The city has no sewers or other system of waste management. Filth and offal are simply poured over the edge of the Blood Rift. Architecture Grisly fleshmasons ply their trade in the elite quarters of the city, designing Morglon-Daar's most opulent edifices from towering walls of magically preserved corpses. Buildings in the less ostentatious districts are constructed of more mundane materials or carved directly from the rift wall. In Beggar's Fall, the city's poorest neighborhood, residents raise ramshackle dwellings along the inner face of the Blood Rift, linking natural ledges and stone shelves with a webwork of narrow catwalks and unstable bridges. Dwellings along the inner rim of the rift are at constant risk of destruction under an endless hail of debris falling from above. Notible Persons A small handful of Morglon-Daar's residents hold positions of power and interest that make them likely contacts for adventurers. *Satugla, the Grand Assessor: A charismatic, foxheaded Raavasta (see Manual of the Planes, page 136), Satugla governs as Blightlord of the Spray. He delights in intrigue and serves as an information broker to creatures willing to pay his exorbitant fees. Of all the Blightlords, Satugla is the most likely to aid adventurers passing through the city. *Lady Akaama: A philanderer who uses her power to fulfill her own perverse pleasures, Akaama is a piscodemon (page 136) with a gift for taking on the appearance of any creature's greatest carnal desire. She is the longestreigning Blightlord, having governed Riftwatch for nearly a decade. *Dogobaz: A hulking and unusually intelligent Derghodemon (page 111), Dogobaz is the newest Blightlord of Morglon-Daar, having defeated the previous lord of the Melakovian Hive at the most recent Carnival Anathema. Dogobaz celebrated his new authority by having his principle rivals publicly impaled on the palisade enclosing the slave market at Bonespike Court. *Faman-dûr: A fearsome Blightlord and proficient artificer, Faman-dûr is a Yagnodemon (page 154) who rule the Anvil with a literal iron fist. When his enlarged left arm (common to all his kind) was lost, Faman-dûr crafted a replacement limb forged of abyssal iron and adamantine. From his seat of power, he oversees the mining operations that spread through the tunnels surrounding the city. *Vaugormoor: A sadistic taskmaster, the Mezzodemon Vaugormoor became the Blightlord of Beggar's Fall by unearthing the fabled Scepter of Athava-Ingo from a secret reliquary outside the city. With the power of this artifact, Vaugormoor successfully c fearlng ed his predecessor. However, fearing a challenge against his own power, he now rarely leaves his stately hovel. *Packaos the Immortal: A mysterious figure known to all residents of Morglon-Daar, Packaos appears as a cherubic halfling in his late adolescence. Despite having met his demise countless times in front of witnesses, Packaos always appears in the city the following day as if nothing untoward has occurred. He has held the title of Blightlord twice, but quickly grew bored with the position. Today, Packaos runs an enterprising mercantile operation that makes regular trading runs up and down the Blood Rift. *Bavamach, Archgeneral of the Blood Rift: One of the most powerful demons of the Blood Rift, the yagnodemon Bavamach ascended to the rank of Archgeneral after distinguishing herself in the Blood War. When not leading campaigns on the city's behalf, Bavamach commands the demon legions of Morglon-Daar from the great fortress of Citadel Faurozoun. Though the Archgeneral has no formal authority in Morglon-Daar, she is revered by the city's demons. Notes One of the Abyss's few permanent settlements open to outsiders, Morglon-Daar is a center of commerce and trade. Population Approximately 40,000 citizens, primarily demons and demon spawn. Slaves, elementals, and other planar creatures bring the city's total population to over 100,000. Government A cadre of ambitious magistrates known as the Blightlords rule Morglon-Daar's five wards. The Blightlords are independent of (but beholden to) the city's true masters—the mysterious demonic council known as the Priory of Rot. Defense Three regiments of battle-hardened demons are the city's permanent army, led by the Archgeneral of the Blood Rift. In times of crisis, all citizens, slaves, and visitors can be conscripted to Morglon-Daar's defense. Inns and Taverns As a center for trade, Morglon-Daar offers the amenities of any worldly city. But the taint of the Abyss is a constant undercurrent here, and visitors must be wary. The establishments most commonly frequented by mortal adventurers include Razack's Tear in the Spray, Cinnibar Shadows in Beggar's Fall, the Bramblehaunt in the Melakovian Hive, and the Craven Talisman in Riftwatch. Supplies Morglon-Daar is built entirely on interplanar trade, and virtually anything—and anyone—can be bought or sold here. The Bazaar is the center of the city's commerce, but private markets come and go in every tavern and on every street corner. Soul Larvae are the preferred currency in the city. Temples Worshipers of the gods rarely make their faith known in Morglon-Daar, and its demonic residents acknowledge no divine masters. The demons do, however, maintain the Watching Tower, a temple sanctified to the Elder Elemental Eye. In addition, secret assemblies venerating Phraxas the Decayed, master of Khin-Oin, are common throughout the city. Travel A portal controlled by a drow wizard links Scornubel to Morglon-Daar.Ed Greenwood. "Abyssal Trade Goods: Not a Bad Thing." '' Category:Metropolises Category:Settlements in Pazunia Category:Metropolises Category:Settlements in Pazuma Category:Metropolises